Between Us
Page 14
He’d been making my life a fairy tale these past few months. Flowers, chocolates, and little gifts came to the campus at least once a week. I’d been sending him stuff, too, and we FaceTimed every night. Spent hours talking about our dreams and hopes. I’d even been flying down to see him almost every weekend, up until finals started. Then life had gotten too hectic, and I’d missed him like crazy.
But that was finally over.
The quarter was over, and well, I still felt the same way I had a few months ago. If anything, I felt even more. As a matter of fact, I was going to tell him I loved him tonight. We hadn’t said those three little words yet, but I was fairly certain he felt the same way about me. At least, I hoped so.
“You’re here early.”
I jumped, pressing a hand to my chest. I turned around, smiling at Austin’s little sister, Rachel. She’d been watching him sing, too, apparently. I don’t know how I’d missed her. “Yeah. I wanted to surprise him, so I didn’t let him know. Why are you at a bar?”
“Austin let me listen from the back room. Don’t worry—I had a babysitter watching me the whole time.”
I rolled my eyes. “Mrs. Greer?”
Rachel nodded, smiling at me. “I think I’ll catch a ride home with her and sleep over at Kaitlyn’s tonight. Give you two some freedom to…well, you know.”
“You don’t have to leave,” I protested. “I want to see you, too.”
“Aw, I love you, too.” Rachel grinned and hugged me. “But I’ll see you plenty tomorrow, after you two have some alone time.” She squeezed my shoulder. “He’s been moping around lately, looking all depressed. He needs a night with you where he doesn’t have to worry about me.”
Oh, crap. That didn’t sound good. “Why has he been upset?”
“I think he misses you.” Rachel shrugged. “I dunno. I don’t speak male.”
I laughed. “All right. Movies tomorrow?”
Rachel nodded and pulled out her phone. “Sure. We can see the latest Nicholas Sparks film if you want.”
“Sounds good.”
We said our goodbyes, hugging, then I walked around the back of the bar. I texted Austin as I walked. How’d it go?
Good. Full house again.
I grinned. Awesome. I can’t wait to see you.
Same here. Only one more week, right?
Right. I’d reached the door where he would be coming out. Luckily, I’d beaten him there, even with me stopping to chat with Rachel. So, I leaned against the wall, lifting a knee and trying to look all casually sexy. Hopefully I pulled it off.
My heart raced when I heard a shuffling sound from behind the steel door. It had been a month since we last saw each other. I’d been wrapped up in finals and studying, and he’d been wrapped up in being a father figure to Rachel. It had been a long freaking month. The back door opened, and he came out, his usual Redskins hat pulled down low on his head.
He had his phone in his hand, and his head was lowered over it. He skipped down the step, whistling between his teeth. It was my song. I smiled. “Hey there, sexy.”
He stopped walking, his eyes scanning the alley. “Mac? Is that you?”
“Who else would be calling you sexy?”
He laughed. “I’ve heard the word used to describe me a few times.”
“I’m sure you have. I came down early to surprise you.” I pushed off the wall, walking toward him slowly. “I have something I have to tell you. I couldn’t wait another second.”
“All right.” He swallowed hard, tugging his hat lower. He did that when he was nervous. I knew that about him. I also knew he’d been taking night classes at the local college. I was so proud of him for that, and I knew he was, too—even though he kept downplaying it as if it wasn’t a big deal. “I’ve noticed you’ve been quiet lately. If you changed your mind about coming down here…?”
I faltered. “What makes you think that? Have you changed your mind?”
“What? No.” He tugged his hat again, then shoved his hands in his pockets. “I just know it’s been a while, and things change. People change. You might have decided you’re better off in Chicago, and that’s okay. I get it.”
“That didn’t change.” I shook my head. Was this why he’d been reserved lately, like Rachel said? He thought I might have changed my mind about us? Yeah. Not happening. “Only one thing has changed between us.”
He nodded. “Okay. What is it?”
“I’m going on tour soon, and it’s summer.”
“I know.” He cocked his head. “You sent me your schedule last week.”
“Yeah, but…I’d like you and Rachel to come with me.” I took a deep breath and straightened my back. “As a matter of fact, I’d like you to open for me, if you’d be interested in doing so.”
He paled, even in the dim lighting of the moon. “That’s really nice of you, but I don’t—”
“You can totally do this, Austin.” I closed the distance between us, resting my hands on his chest. “I know you can. There might be some guilt over what happened when you were in L.A., and you might not want be in the eye of the paparazzi, but that doesn’t mean you can’t sing. The world deserves to hear you. To know you.”
“But—” He broke off and let out a frustrated sound. “I hate this fucking hat,” he muttered, taking it off my head and tossing it to the side. “There’s that’s better. I can actually see you now.”
“Fine. Please say yes?”
He covered my hands with his own, looking down at me with those blue eyes that never stopped haunting me, even in my sleep. His dimple was shadowed from the streetlights, and I reached up on tiptoe to kiss it. His eyes fluttered closed, but his grip on me didn’t loosen. “Why is it so important to you that I do this? Why do you want me to be heard so badly?”
“Because I know the world will love you.” I bit down on my lip, then blurted out, “They’ll love you as much as I do. Because I do. I love you, Austin. I love you so much I can’t even imagine a life without you in it.”
His eyes went wide. “Thank fucking God.”
He kissed me, his mouth moving over mine as he hugged me close, seeming like he’d never let go. And I didn’t want him to. I never wanted to let him go. My life was so much brighter with him in it. I was different with him. Better.
He said I made him better too. I wasn’t sure if that was possible, but it sounded nice. By the time he dragged his mouth away from mine, I had my arms around his neck, urging him closer. I tried to kiss him again, but he shifted just out of reach.
“Wait. It’s my turn to talk now. You had yours.”
A laugh bubbled out of me. “Hey. Those were my words.”
“I know.” He nuzzled my neck. “And they worked on me, so they better work on you.”
I huffed out a breath and curled my fists into his shirt. “It works.”
“Good. Otherwise that would’ve been really awkward.” He kissed the tip of my nose, then sobered up. “You really love me?”
“I really do. I think I have since the first time you kissed me, but it took me this long to be sure. I didn’t want to rush into anything, or rush you into anything before you were ready.” I trailed a finger over his jawline, smiling at the stubble that scraped my skin. “But for me, it’s always been you. Even before I knew you, I was waiting for you.”
He groaned and hugged me close, squeezing me until a little squeak escaped. “I love you too. So damn much. It scares the hell outta me, and so do you, quite frankly, but I love you more than I ever thought I could love someone besides Rachel.”
I smiled so big that it hurt my face. It was that kind of smile. “Thank God.” I let out a nervous laugh. “I was scared you weren’t there yet.”
“Oh, I’m so fucking there that I already have a house built on that road.” He laughed, loud and clear, and then spun me in a circle. I clung to him, holding on for dear life. “So you’re actually moving down here with me?”
“Hell yeah I am.” I removed his hat and tossed it with
mine. If he got to take mine off, then I got to do the same to him. I buried my fingers in his soft brown hair, knowing life didn’t get any sweeter than this. “I’m all yours, baby.”
He nuzzled my neck. “I’ll go on tour with you, and I’ll sing, too. But only if Rachel is okay with it. I have to talk to her first.”
Triumph soared through me, quick and heady. “Touring the country all summer with her favorite singers in the world? Yeah. I’m sure she’ll say no.”
He laughed. God, I loved his laugh. “Cocky, much?”
“Yep. And you like me this way.”
He threw his arm over my shoulder, leading us over to where we’d thrown our hats. As we settled them both in place, trying to hide from the world, he grinned down at me. “How about we grab a few drinks before heading home?”
I rested my head on his arm, as best as I could with the big hat on my head. “I like the sound of that. I could go for some Sex on the Beach.”
“I can handle that, but we’re walking the wrong way.” He pointed over his shoulder. “The beach is that way.”
I hit his arm, laughing. “You know what I mean.”
“I do,” he admitted. “But we could always have both versions.”
“Last time we did that, the photos were all over the news.”
He winced. “Those might have been the first pictures to hit the news, but they’re certainly not the last ones.”
He was right. Our faces had been plastered all over the news for the past three months. Anytime we went out, the cameras were there waiting for us. Hopefully we managed to get through tonight in privacy. I’d travelled under a false name.
I wrapped my arm around his waist, holding on tight. “Quinn and Cassie forward me all the articles when they see them. I swear to God they have a Google alert on us.”
“That’s what friends are for,” Austin said, grinning.
I laughed. “Yeah, maybe. Either way, at least we’re in this together, right?”
“Right.” He kissed my temple. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, sweetheart.”
“Yeah. Me neither.”
And then I kissed him.
Want more Sex on the Beach?
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Spring break in Key West with my besties was supposed to be casual fun. But I never expected to meet him. Sex and frolic? Yes! A relationship? No. But his hot blue eyes and confident manner drew me in. And when he let me see the man behind the mask, I fell hard, foolishly believing there could be a future for us. Of course, I never considered our relationship might be based on lies...or that his betrayal could rock my foundation and make me question everything I believed in…
OR WILL A LIFE BUILT ON LIES RUIN EVERYTHING?
The moment I saw her I knew I had to have her. She hooked me with her cool eyes and don’t-touch-me attitude. I had it all—money, social status, and looks. I could get any girl I wanted...until her. When my friends challenged me with a bet to get her into bed by the end of the week, I couldn’t pass it up. But sex wasn’t supposed to turn into love. She wasn’t supposed to change me, push me, and make me want more for myself. She wasn’t supposed to wreck me in all ways. And now, if I can’t turn my lies into truth, I just might lose her forever...
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Until someone gets hurt
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Suddenly, sex on the beach doesn’t sound so good anymore...
Read other books by Jen McLaughlin
Jen McLaughlin is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. She writes steamy new adult books for the young and young at heart. Her first release, Out of Line, came out September 2013. She also writes bestselling contemporary romance under the pen name Diane Alberts. Since receiving her first contract offer under the pen name Diane Alberts, she has yet to stop writing. She is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.
Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal-clear water. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal-clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, a cat, and a Senegal parrot. In the rare moments when she’s not writing, she can usually be found hunched over one knitting project or another. Her goal is to write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.
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Copyright © 2014 by Jen McLaughlin
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Other Books by Jen McLaughlin
Letter to Reader
Praise for Trilogy
Preview
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Epilogue
Want more Sex on the Beach?
About the Author
About the Designer
Copyright Notice
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